Summary: How were Jesus’ trial illegal?

The arrest, trials, and execution of Jesus should go down in history as the quickest action of any judicial system. If the trials of Jesus were held today, they surely would make headlines(not in a good way) and have legal rights groups up in arms.

Let’s look at a quick summary of the last day of Jesus’ life.

1:30am Jesus is arrested

2 am unauthorized trial at Annas’s house

3am unofficial trial at Caiaphas’s house

6am formal, official trial before the Sanhedrin(Jewish Supreme Court)

6:30am 1st interrogation by Pilate

7am audience with King Herod

7:30 judgment by Pilate

8am scourging in Praetorium

9am nailed to the cross

12 noon darkness falls

3pm Jesus’ death

In less than 24 hours, Jesus goes from arrest, to trial, to execution.

Either this was the greatest example of a fair and speedy trial or something was seriously wrong. Mostly what was wrong was Jesus’ trials were all illegal.

How were Jesus’ Trials Illegal?

1 Even before the trial began, it had been determined the Jesus must die.

It was now two days before the Passover celebration and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and put him to death.

2 False witnesses were sought to testify against Jesus. Usually the religious leaders went through an elaborate system of screening witnesses.

59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.

60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, there was no testimony they could use. Finally, two men were found 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’

66 At daybreak all the leaders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, 67 and they said, “Tell us if you are the Messiah.”

But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. 68 And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. 69 But the time is soon coming when I, the Son of Man, will be sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power.”

70 They all shouted, “Then you claim you are the Son of God?”

And he replied, “You are right in saying that I am.”

71 “What need do we have for other witnesses?” they shouted. “We ourselves heard him say it.”